“It’s buggered.” I stare at Nick’s glitching face as I take the phone from Sara. “What am I going to do?”
“Not a lot you can do with it now. Forget about it. We’re meant to be having a good time.” She lifts the shot in my hand. “Drink.”
I roll my eyes again, slip the phone into my purse, and knock the butterscotch vodka back. It tastes nice apart from the heat at the back of the throat.
“I can’t believe he’s calling you on a Friday night, Joy,” Steve says.
I cringe. He thinks he’s calling me about work. “It’s okay. I don’t mind.”
“Does he always call you out of work?” Archie asks as he lifts a drink to his lips.
“Not always.”
Sara raises an eyebrow. “Come and dance. Enjoy yourself. You’ll see him again tomorrow. I’ve hardly spent any time with you this week.”
Strong hands sliparound my waist, pulling me flush with a hard chest. A growl vibrates against my ear. “Did you keep this costume on just to torment me?”
My heart stutters. “Nick?” I spin around and throw my arms around him. “What are you doing here?”
“I was worried about you. One minute I was looking at your beautiful face, then the next minute I was staring up someone’s skirt. I didn’t know if you’d fallen down or what. Then it all went black.”
“I broke my phone. But I’m glad you’re here.”
“I couldn’t stand the thought of you dancing with anyone else but me.” His green eyes shine under the disco lights, looking more green with jealousy as he glares at Steve and Archie.
I pull his face to mine. “You don’t need to be jealous of me dancing with them. They wouldn’t want me if I was the last woman on earth.”
“Then they’re idiots.”
“They’re also gay.”
“Both of them?” He glances over my shoulder with pinched eyebrows. “How did I not know this?”
“I told you, you should get to know your staff better.”
Sara brings another vodka shot over to the dance floor. “Nick, this is a surprise.”
I take the shot from her hand and she gives me a wink as she leaves.
Nick covers my hand with his large mitt, lifting the shot from my grasp. “How much have you drank tonight?”
I chew on the inside of my mouth. “As much as I love it when you’re bossy, I’m a grown woman, Nick. I can drink as much as I like.”
He moves a lock of hair behind my prosthetic elf ear and leans in with a rumble from his lips. His breath fans my neck as he speaks, sending tingles through my body. “Not if you want me to fuck you into the New Year, you can’t. I’m desperate to be inside you, Joy. But I won’t take you without a clear head.”
I pant under his fiery green eyes. I’m no longer thirsty. Just wet. So wet. “Where’s Theo?”
“I left him at my brother’s.” He kisses my neck, not caring who sees. “Tell me before I get my hopes up. How much have you drank tonight?”
“Three. Only three shots.” I had a cocktail as well, but he doesn’t need to know about that.
He places the vodka shot onto the nearest table, interlaces his fingers with mine. “Let’s go.” He leads me out of the club, not even giving me time to say goodbye.
“Where are we going?”
“I’m taking you home.” He digs into his pocket and retrieves his car keys. With a flick of the button, a beep sounds from his red car parked under a streetlamp on the side of the road. “Get in.”
“You’re so bossy.” I hiccup, then cover my mouth with my hand, hoping he didn’t hear me. Inside his car, I inhale the familiar scent of him. He looks different in a hoodie, even with a shirt and tie underneath. He looks more relaxed, though the way he’s driving, gripping the wheel and ramming the gear stick into fourth, he’s anything but calm.
